Bubble-absorption tower



July 12, 1927. 1,635,440

H. E. sHAY BUBBLE ABSORPTION TOWER Filed April 6. 1926 y 2 Sheets-Sheet l July i12, 1927. 1,635,440

H. E. SHAY I BUBBLE ABsoRPTI'oN TOWER Filed April 6, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 k@ nu@ Patented July l2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRYy E. SHAY, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO W. A. MASTERS AND ONE-THIRD TO J'. L. MURRAY, BOTH 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

BUBBLE-ABSORFTION TOWER.

Application led April 6, 1926. Serial No. 100,056.

i My invention is a bubble absorption tower for absorbing liquids from gases, bypassing the gases through a liquid, and is particularly adapted for passing oil well or casing head gas through oil.

My invention also method of operation.

A main object of my invention is to bubble gas through oil and my apparatus and method of operation are particularly designedv to bubble oil well or what is known as casing head gas through oil; an object being to extract the condensable hydrocarbon oils in the gas into the body of oil, whereby the gas on leaving the absorption tower is comparatively dry. My apparatus and method, however, may be reversed in which a gas may be bubbled through a body of oil containing volatile oils so that the gas will take up a certain amount of the volatile oils and the resulting gas will therefore be a mixture of the original gas and the volatilized oils taken up thereby. i

A more specific object of my invention is to bubble the gas through a series of troughs of oil in which the gas only bubbles through thin layers and the oil overflows from one trough into the next below, the overflow being substantially in the line of the upflowcompreheuds the $0 ing gas. Hence an obj'ect'of my invention is to Vbring the gas into intimate contact `with a large amount of oil and to flow the oil downwardly through the tower in substantially the upward path of the gas.

Another object of my invention is to utilize a semi-floating gas chamber, the said chamber being floatable in a pan of oil and passing the `gas from the gas chamber through a series of annular troughs; each trough being larger than the other and below the one above, so that the oil. overflows from a higher trough to a'lower trough.

In constructing my invention I utilize preferably a cylindrical tower and position therein a series of pans having an annular outlet in the center. Above these pans I suspend a conical gas chamber with a gas inlet through the openingr in the pan. The gas chamber is preferably closed by a base and is partially floated. by the oil in the pan z thereby being self-centering. The top and outside of the conical gas chamber are pro vided with a series of annular troughs, these increasing in diameter from the aper` tcwarfla the bane of the cone., Each troughs is provided with an annular perfo-- rated pipe and a series of gas pipes connecting through the wall of the cone to such perforated pipes. l

The oil is fed into the top of the tow-er, drippingover the cones and from the upper troughs overflowing on to the troughs below; thence through the pans which partially float the gas chamber and thence to an oil receptacle at the base of the tower and to an oil outlet. The gas is given an auxiliary drying by a series of baliles at the` top of the tower before being drawn oft'. v

My invention is illustrated in connection with the apparatus shown in thefollowing drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a vertical mid section of my absorption tower Fig. 2 if a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection `on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1, inthe direction of the arrows;

Fig. t is a partial section and partial elevation through one of the conical gas bubbling units;

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, my absorption tower comprises preferably a cylindrical structure 1 having a supporting base 2, a bottom wall 3 and aclosure cap 4, an oil inlet 5, and preferably has an oil pipe 6 leading part way down in the tower. A gas outlet 7 is adjacent the top of the tower, a gas inlet 8 adjacent the base, and an oil outlet 9 controlled by avalve 10.

A series of annularpans 11 are mounted in the tower, each pan being preferably Sup ported on a circular angle frame 12, the

lpans having a bottom 13,Aan outer rim I4,

and an inner rim 15 forming a discharge opening 16 in the center of the pan. These details are shown more clearly in Fig. 4.

A series of conical gas bubbling units 1T are mounted in the tower; these units being constructed substantially as follows` particularly as illustrated in Figs. 1. 3 and 4:

Each of these units has preferably a cylindrical vertical wall 18 aud a coned wall 19 extending thereabove to the apex 20 to which is attached a series of chains or cables 21 suspending thev unit from hooks 22 on the walls of the tower. There are preferably at least three chaine supporting each unit to hold. sama concentrically in the towers 'ing-fpe'rfo'rations 30 lpreferably on rthe lower ii'de, are l'placed in `thetlowest position-of each )t the troughs and have a goose-'neck pipe Sllea'din'g t-rom'the apertures '82 in the'cone to 'the bubble pipes. These goose-neck pipes extend above-the upper edge 83 ott the` troughs `in order to rise above the liquid level. The io'il drips v'down on 'the center ot upper trough Yand overiiows the Ysuccessive titl troughs 'into th'epan,-tlie oil 'level -in vthe pan being controlled fby the iheightothe 4-inner mn 15.

:Afiiquifieepmior siii; insignes in iii@ upper part of the tower, being fformed of 'a per shelti';y The bottom Y'and the top shelfV have passages 38 an'dt) onone :side of the tower and the middle-'shelt has an opening 40 'on the opposite side. A series of baiiie walls 4l extend transversely :across /the shelves, rprojecting upwardly and' downwardly from the lower and upper shelves andin "both 'directions trom 'the middle shelf, causingfa` zig Zag Ymovement ot Vthe "gas, A series of small pertorations Li2 and 43 lare -iorniedi iii :the middle and ilowersh'eli' to allow drainage ot any loil trapped vin the lower partil of 'the' separator.' The Plower partotthe tower"tormsanoil receptacle tel which fhas 'preferably 1an oi'l 4level f glass 4.5 indicating the 'proper flevelofoil to the operator. Y f

The manner'o't operation is substantially as follows:

tt will'be understood y"thiitthe tower may beof'an-y height desired and'ot any suitable diameter' Aand asfew or as many Ipans and bubble units 'installed' as may -be desired, the 'illustration showing tlr'eefo't these sets. vOil 'is ied into the 'tower tthroughl the ypipe 5, tiowi'ng downover the'upper'cone untilthe pan in the ilowermost unit is 'lilledfand there is va r'body ofvoil in the reservoir-toiprevent 'the 'gas tromA blowing through;` thefgas-being blown 'in under suitable pressurey through -tlieVVV pipe 8. As the gas Hows upwardly 'through ythe gas pipes 26 yit enters 'the gas chambers 46 in the cones and passes out t'hrouglitlie apertures-32 and the fgooselneck rpipesiint'o the bubble 'rpipes 29 vwhich'areglo- 'cated finfthe troughs 27. I

ii VWin be noi-ed :um there im 'iimiieii is continuously entering the tower it flows downward-ly over the cone and v`in succession over the edges ot the troughs. rlllie 'flow ot oil overthe walls 28 is in substantially a vertical 'line with the upi'vard flow ot 'the bubbles from the peri-iorati'on's 130,hence the dripping oil is brought into close contact- 'wi'th 'the 'upwardly flowing gas.

proper relation to the tower and maintains' a. proper level of the voil in the various troughs this Abeing always horizontalso rthat there is no opportunity for oneside of the bubble pipes to be uncovered vby vthe oil. The gas 'after going upwardly through the different units .and through thel separator '34 is carried out through theoutlet pipe 7 and as vthe oil accumulates in the voil receptacle AAll, is drawn oit by the pipe -9 controlled by the valve 10. y l.

Although I have described my bubble absorption tower as being primarily ldesigned for extracting `condensable oils. or other liquids trom gas, it nerertheless to be iindersteod that the reverse operation may take place and that dry ygases may be caused to absorb Various volatile liquids' and be ca-r-v ried otip as a wet gas or the like.

Although my invention is of a simple character, it is ynevertheless apparent that the general construction and specific `details may be considerably changed tto suit difterent types of towers or. other gasand liquid interchanging mechanism. Such changes would be within the spirit of my invention :is set tor-th in the description, dra-wings and claims. l `Having described :my invention, what Aclain'i is i l. An absorption Ytower comprising in combination atower structurehavingapart- Y.

ly tloatablegas chamber, means 'to hold and retain'oil flowing over the outside of said. chamber, and means tor bubbling gas from said chamber through the oil. 'Y Y 2. An absorption tower comprising in combination ii tower structure, a .partly tloatable gas chamber havinga series of oil receiving troughs on its outer surface, and

means 'tor bubblingfgas itrom'the gas chamber through the said troughs.

Si. An absorption tower as claimed in claim 2, in which the troughs are arrange/l in cascade with theoil flowing successively ironia higher to a lower tray.

l. An absorption `tower comprising Ain combination a tower structure, a conical shaped gasfchamber, means tor holdingV and retaining oil on Vthe conical outside of said chamber, .and lmeans for bubbling ,gas vtrom the chamber through'the oil. f

5. An absorption tower comprising in CTL combination a tower structure having a con ical gas chamber with a series ot annular troughs, the troughs being arranged at dit'- crent levels, and means `t'or conducting gas trom the gas chamber to and through bubble pipes in thc said troughs.

6. An absorption tower as claimed in claim 5, in which the troughs are arranged at different elevations on the conical part ot thc chamber, the oil flowing in cascade troni a higher to a lower trough.

7. A bubble absorption tower comprising iu combination a tower structure, a pan -tor oil therein, a conical-shaped gas chamber partly float-able in said pan, a series of annular troughs on 'the exterior surface o'l the cone.` bubble pipes in the base of the troughs, gas 'lced pipes it'rom the gas chamber to the bubble pipes, and means to conduct gas upwardly into the gas chamber.

A bubble tower comprising in combinau tion a tower structure having a pan with an outer and inner rim, the inner rim forming a central opening, a conical gas chamber having a substantially flat base with a recess,V

the recess fitting over the inner rim, a inlet pipe extending downwardly from the recess, through the opening in the pan, means on the exterior' conical surface to retard the flow of oil thereover, and means leading from the gas chamber to pass gas through the said oil.

9. A bubble tower as claimedin claim 8. in which the means to retard the oil and to pass the gas comprises a series of annular troughs mounted on the exterior surface of the cone, bubble pipes in the lower part of the troughs, and gas supply pipes leading from the cone into the bubble pipes, the troughs being at diderent elevations, whereby the oil flows in cascade from a higher to a lower trough.

10. A bubble tower as claimed in claim 8, having in addition means to suspend the conical gas chamber from the walls of the tower, whereby said gas chamber is partly supported and partly floated in the said pan.

11. A bubble absorption tower comprising in combination a cylindrical tower structure, a series of pans having central openings at different elevations, a series of conical gas chambers partly floatable in the pans, the chambers having a gas inlet below the pans, a series of troughs on the exterior surface ot the cones, means to bubble gas from the gas chambers through the troughs, an oil inlet at the top and outlet at the bottom o the tower, and a gas inlet at the bottom and oule't at the top of the tower.

12. A bubble absorption tower as claimed in claim 11, having in addition a liquid separator in the upper part of the tower comprising a lower, an upper and an intermediary shelt extending part way across the tower from opposite sides, and battle walls from the said shelves ext-ending in an overlapping direction from one shelf towards another.

13. In a bubble absorption tower, a liquid separator comprising a lower and upper shelf extending part way across the tower structure, an intermediate shelf extending part way across the tower from the opposite side, a series of baffle walls extending upwardly and downwardly from the upper and lower shelf and from the intermediate shelf, the said walls overlapping thereby forcing gas to follow an up and down zig Zag path.

14. In the method of absorption oit gases and liquids comprising maintaining a continuous supply of gas in a partially floatabl-e gas chamber, iiowing oil in a retarded manner over the outside surface of said chamber, and passing gas through such oill from the gas chamber.

15. In the method of absorption of gases and liquids, maintaining a continuous supply of gas in a partially loatable gas cha1nber, flowing a liquid in cascade through a series of oil receptacles on the outside of said chamber, and passing gas from the chamber in bubbles through the oil in the dierent steps of the cascade flow.

16. In the method of gas and liquid absorption, llowing a liquid downwardly through a series of circular liquid receptacles oic increasing diameter, discharging the liquid from the upper to the lower receptacles in circular cascades, and bubbling gas upwardly through each of the receptacles.

17. In the method of gas and liquid absorption, flowing a liquid downwardly through a series of circular liquid receptacles ot increasing diameter, discharging the liquid from the upper to the lower receptacles in circular cascades, and bubbling gas upwardly through each of the receptacles, the liquid flowing in cascades being7 substantially in the path of the upward flow of the bubbles.

In'testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HARRY errar. 

